MILITARY MODEL
SHOULDER STOCK CUT REVOLVERS
SHOULDER STOCKS
C.L. DRAGOON
Hand engraved, not stamped.
CIVILIAN MODEL
EIGHT INCH BARREL LATE ISSUE
Third Model Dragoon with canteen buttstock.
Hartford English Dragoon.
HARTFORD ENGLISH DRAGOON
Still a six-shot, .44-cal. pistol with a 7.5 inch barrel, this is a variation of the Third Model Dragoon. The only notable differences are British proofmarks and the distinct #1 to #700 serial number range. Other than these two features, the description of the Third Model would apply. These 4-lb., 2-oz. revolvers were manufactured in Hartford but were finished at Colt’s London factory from 1853 to 1857. Some bear the hand engraved barrel marking “ADDRESS COL. COLT LONDON.” Many of the English Dragoons were elaborately engraved, and individual appraisal would be a must. Two hundred revolvers came back to America in 1861 to be used in the Civil War. As with all the early Colts, caution is advised in acquisition.
MODEL 1848 BABY DRAGOON
This is a small five-shot, .31-cal. pocket-size percussion revolver. It has an octagonal barrel that varies in length in 1-inch increments from three to six inches. Most were made without an integral loading lever, although some with loading levers have been noted. The frame, hammer and loading lever (when present) are case colored; the barrel and cylinder are blued. The grip frame and trigger guard are silver-plated brass. Barrels are stamped “ADDRESS SAML. COLT/NEW YORK CITY”. Some have been noted with the barrel address inside brackets. The frame is marked “COLT’S/PATENT.” The first 10,000 revolvers have a squared-back trigger guard, rounded cylinder stops and the Texas Ranger and Indian roll engraved cylinder scene; later guns have a stagecoach holdup scene. This is a popular model, and many fakes have been noted. Although approximately 15,500 were manufactured between 1847 and 1850, the serial range is only between #1 and #5500.
Baby Dragoon, 4-inch barrel.
TEXAS RANGER/INDIAN SCENE
NOTE: Attached loading lever add 15 percent.
STAGECOACH HOLDUP SCENE
Baby Dragoon, 3-inch barrel.
Model 1849 Pocket, blued with ivory grips.
POCKET AND ARMY, NAVY
With success on the U.S. military front based on production of his Walkers and Dragoons, Samuel Colt’s fortunes improved immediately. Thus it was an easy decision to enter the civilian market with a repeating handgun, a smaller version of the massive Walker. The first Pocket models became the hugely popular 1849s and they were so identical to the earlier guns – except in physical size – that they were often referred to as “Colt’s Baby Dragoons.”
The subsequent six-shot Navy revolvers also proved to be popular and the combination sales of these two pistols during the early ‘50s made Colt’s business financially secure. Colt even opened a manufacturing facility in London to complement his Hartford plant and to forestall European imitators and infringements on his patents.
Unfortunately for today’s collectors, parts were often interchanged between Hartford and London, even shipped back and forth across the Atlantic, and switched between models as orders were written. This makes precise identification quite difficult and opens the door for argument and perhaps even a little mystery.
MODEL 1849 POCKET
This is a small, five- or six-shot, .31 cal. percussion revolver. It has an octagonal barrel that varies from three to six inches in length in one-inch increments. Most, but not all, had loading levers and weighed a mere 1 lb., 11 oz. with the 6-inch barrel. The frame, hammer and loading lever are case colored; the cylinder and barrel are blued, the cylinder having rectangular stop slots and a stagecoach holdup roll scene. The grip frame and rounded trigger guard are made of brass and are silver plated. There are both large and small trigger guard variations noted.
Model 1849 Pocket, nickel finish.
This is the most plentiful of all the Colt percussion revolvers. Approximately 325,000 were manufactured during a 23-year period, from 1850 to 1873, and serial numbers run from about #14400 and up. There are more than 200 variations of the 1849 Pocket, and one should consult an expert for individual appraisals. Many fine publications specialize in the field of Colt percussion revolvers and these would be most helpful identifying variations. The values represented here are for the standard model.
Model 1849 Pocket, cased with accessories.
NOTE: This advertisement appeared in the Spring of 2007 at AntiqueGunList.com:
“Colt 1849 Pocket Model, 31 cal., 4 inch barrel, 5
shot, SN 136XXX 1859. It has all matching numbers
including the rammer but the wedge is un-numbered and
appears not to be an original Colt wedge. It is loose but
will not come out without removing the wedge screw. The
action is tight and correct, no looseness between frame and
barrel. The cylinder has about 70% scene and the screws
are all good. The frame and barrel are smooth and not
pitted, hints of color. The 2 line New York address, serial
numbers and patent stamp are all sharp and readable. The
back strap and trigger guard have 30% silver remaining. The original grips appear to have been re-varnished